Amanda Balionis drained after golf fans demand CBS fires her over Rickie Fowler moment

Amanda Balionis has been left seething after a number of trolls took exception to her CBS interview with Rickie Fowler at the Charles Schwab Challenge on Saturday

Amanda Balionis has slammed her trolls(Image: Getty Images)

Amanda Balionis has clapped back at critics following her Saturday CBS interview with Rickie Fowler at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

This comes hot on the heels of last week’s controversy, where she was criticized for seemingly throwing shade at Rory McIlroy during her PGA Championship conversation with Bryson DeChambeau. Balionis later took to Instagram to reiterate her stance on interview responsibilities.

The following day, Balionis let loose on Instagram, calling out ‘People pleasers’ who had apparently taken issue with her remarks. Less than a week later, the 38-year-old is biting back again.

This time, it’s in response to her interview with Fowler. The American delivered an impressive 3-under third round, putting him just four strokes behind joint leaders Ben Griffin and Matti Schmid in third place.

During their post-round chat, Balionis highlighted Fowler’s putting average, which currently places him 125th on the PGA Tour but saw him rise to the top 10 in the field at the Colonial Country Club. She also touched on what it felt like for him to be back in the running for a title after being stuck in what she described as ‘neutral.’

However, it seems viewers weren’t too pleased with what they heard and voiced their disapproval – something Balionis didn’t hesitate to address.

Sharing snippets of the harsh criticism she’s faced, Balionis shared her thoughts: “When we talk about being you instead of trying to be what you think others perceive as ‘perfect’ or ‘good enough’…here is an example of how the latter is simply an impossible and draining task.”

Amanda Balionis calls out her trolls on Instagram (Image: Instagram)

She then showcased two particularly scathing messages. One stated, “CBS should have fired Amands some time ago. She is a highly unprofessional journalist. Her job is to be a journalist NOT to be a giggling, flirtatious high school girl.”

The other critique read, “Hey, could you be a little positive in your interviews and not bring up negative stats. Example, Rickie Fowler and 125 something and stuck in neutral. Very negative interview.”

These weren’t the only barbs thrown her way; another comment came in response to CBS announcing its lineup featuring Amanda Balionis, bluntly asserting: “Balionis gotta go. She is horrendous.”

In response to the harsh words she shared, Balionis reflected, “You’re always going to be ‘too something’ for somebody. It’s a lot easier to be yourself and figure out what feedback is actually worth listening to (spoiler: it’s never the trolls you don’t know) rather than trying to be what everyone else wants.

“Nobody wants the same thing and you’ll end up turning yourself into an unrecognizable pretzel. Okay that’s all. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk that absolutely nobody asked for.”

CBS typically shares Balionis’s interviews on social media, but the Fowler clip was never released. Balionis will return to work from Fort Worth, Texas, on Sunday.